Assassin's Creed Unity: 4 events we need to see happen

Ubisoft has finally lifted the curtains on Assassin’s Creed Unity, the latest chapter in its historical stealth-‘em-up franchise that has shifted over 50 million copies to date. While speculation had pointed to a feudal Japan setting, it was confirmed that the game will instead take place in 18th century Paris, specifically during the period of the French Revolution. Distancing itself from the Kenway family, Unity plonks gamers in the stealthy shoes of a new assassin named Arno.

It’s a historically rich period, and a tantalizing leap for the franchise as a whole. As such, PSU.com decided to compile a list of four real life events from the period that Ubisoft simply has to touch on for its latest stab-’em-up adventure.

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BASTILLE’S FALL

Assassin’s Creed has always capitalized on famous battles from the period, each game is set in (Bunker Hill for example), and the fall of the Bastille would be a perfect backdrop for some throat-slitting action in Unity. Here, we find frustrated and starving Parisians storming the medieval fort - perceived by many civilians as a physical manifestation of the much-loathed reign of King Louis XVI - until the stronghold is eventually given up to the enraged mob after just a few hours. Bastille’s fall resulted in serious ramifications, as Louis withdrew Paris’s royal troops from the capital and eventually dismissed finance minister Jacques Necker. What side could our assassin fall on, though?

TUILERIES PALACE ATTACKED

Taking place on August 10, 1792, this bloody ruck saw a massive 20,000 people march on the Tuileries Palace, forcing the King and Queen to flee for their lives. This event inaugurated a more radial phase of the Revolution, resulting in the infamous ‘September Massacre,’ where hundreds of suspected royalists were given the chop -- literally. In other words, the perfect opportunity for Arno to get stuck into the mix, slipping in and out of the crowds while accomplishing his objective. Unity could easily play the ambiguous card with its new lead, so it isn’t necessary for our fresh-faced assassin to explicitly state his loyalty to either the King or those who oppose him.

THE EXECUTION OF KING LOUIS XVI

Ubisoft loves to dabble in key historical figures and events (Leonardo da Vinci, George Washington, Black Beard), and one political heavyweight that remained a key component during the era of the French Revolution was of course, King Louis XVI. As such, his execution in January of 1793 on the charge of treason is one scene that Unity must depict in some form or another, especially if they fancy going down the interesting (and controversial) route of an alternate history -- perhaps our assassin could prevent Louis’s decapitation at the gallows? Or perhaps he’ll be instrumental in getting the doomed monarch charged?

THE RISE OF NAPOLEON

An integral figure during the latter stages of the Revolution, the French military and political leader Napoleon Bonaparte is sure to pop up at some stage in Unity, and quite frankly Ubisoft would have to be mad not to include him. In particular, Napoleon’s rise is an area that should be well-suited to the latest chapter in the Assassin’s Creed series, which follows his return from Egypt in 1799. Here, he removes the Directory - a five-member council established as the new government for France in 1795, and up to its eyeballs in corruption and conflict - from power and crowns himself as First Consul of the Consulate. As one of the most significant chapters in the French Revolution, it would be a crime to ignore Napoleon’s rise to power given the political dealings Ubisoft’s flagship series likes to indulge in.
Let us know your wish list for Assassin’s Creed Unity in the comments section below.